Commercial space company Axiom Space has announced a partnership with Prada to design spacesuits for astronauts. Prada, known for its fashion and accessories, will be responsible for designing NASA’s spacesuits for the upcoming Artemis III mission in 2025, marking the first manned flight to the Moon since 1972. The collaboration aims to develop materials and features that will protect crews from the harsh elements of outer space. While it may seem unusual for a fashion brand to design spacesuits, NASA recognizes the need for new solutions to ensure astronauts’ safety during longer space missions, and Prada’s technical expertise may provide the necessary innovations. This article will delve into the purpose of deploying Prada spacesuits for the lunar landing and discuss other ways NASA is preparing for exploration.
Why Choose Prada Spacesuits?
Many may question the merging of fashion and aeronautics, but Axiom Space CEO Micheal Suffredini explains Prada’s suitability for the Artemis III challenge. He states, “Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits.” This collaboration is not NASA’s first venture with external companies to fulfill its missions. For example, the Apollo lunar spacesuit (A-7L) from 1969 incorporated materials from the DuPont Chemical Company, including Teflon, Mylar, Lycra spandex, Nylon, and Silica fiber. Prada will work on developing even more superior textile materials that exceed the standards set by the Apollo suit while providing enhanced comfort features in line with modern requirements.
NASA’s Moon Projects
The Prada spacesuits are expected to support astronauts for longer durations compared to previous missions. NASA’s ambition is to have humans stay on the Moon for extended periods, conducting extensive research. To achieve this, the agency collaborated with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the LunA-10 project, which seeks to gather ideas for establishing lunar infrastructure. This initiative focuses on building structures and equipment that would enable long-term habitation on the Moon. DARPA Strategic Technology Office program manager Michael Nayak explains the long-term vision, stating, “LunA-10 continues this rich legacy by identifying and accelerating key technologies that may be used by government and the commercial space industry, and ultimately to catalyze economic vibrancy on the Moon.” Additionally, NASA partnered with construction technology firm ICON to develop 3D printed homes on the Moon using lunar soil as concrete.
To conclude, NASA’s collaboration with Axiom Space and Prada aims to produce advanced spacesuits for upcoming lunar missions, incorporating the agency’s knowledge from previous Moon missions. The goal is to facilitate longer stays on the Moon while also envisioning the establishment of human communities on Earth’s celestial neighbor. Although this article touched upon some NASA projects related to lunar exploration, there are more exciting initiatives taking place, which can be explored further on Inquirer Tech.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
